Hi friends. The other day I posted my very first video blog on Youtube. (Here it is again if you missed it the first time around!) It was kind of a big step for me - I feel uncomfortable and exposed sharing myself on camera. But, I just needed to start. Here's the big lesson I learned in this process: (Besides stuff about microphones, camera placement, lighting, image resolution quality, looking at the lens, and to stop touching my damn hair).

This video was the fourth topic I shot, and the last of many, many takes.

Perfectionism and fear of failure get in the way of growth. Have standards, yes, but don't aim for perfect.

Standards are about meeting your best effort, at your growing edge, where you are now. As you grow, so do your standards. Perfectionism is about control. Control has the appearance of, well, control, but it’s really about fear. That quote, ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway.’ That.

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I have the tendency to procrastinate. The idea of the steps, time, inevitable frustration, and fear of just not being able to bridge the distance between starting place and vision can cause me to put off starting at all. I get a vision of what I want, and then immediately want to jump there. (And for some reason, I'm just recognizing this pattern...thank you meditation.)

GAH, enough with the patience already! (Lately, The Universe keeps telling me to be patient. Even my tea told me)

Patience.

When I really want something, I want it now. Well, life doesn't often work that way. Career goals, yoga poses, relationships, Olympic medals. Simone Biles or Michael Phelps didn't become unstoppable Olympic gold medalists overnight.

Making this 1 minute, 30 second video was scary, and there was (and will continue to be) lots of frustration along the way. But because I took this step, making this good but not great first video, I will be able to subsequently improve, and grow into my vision.

A vision is achieved one imperfect step at a time.

I still had standards for my first video; it's not perfect, but it's my best effort now, and the important thing is I got started. (Even if watching and hearing myself on camera still makes me cringe a little.) And I owe a huge thank you to a certain friend who invited me over to work on business videos because he knew I needed a kick in the pants to get started. Have standards for yourself, but allow room to grow.

Standards, not perfectionism

Standards are about meeting your best effort, at your growing edge, where you are NOW. As you grow, so do your standards. Perfectionism is about control. Control has the appearance of, well, control, but it's really about fear. That quote, "Feel the fear and do it anyway." That.

Grow Happy, Grow Healthy

Andrea

As always, talk to me in the comments! And make sure to share this post with that special procrastinating, perfectionist in your life. ;)